Party security: Gov. Perry softens his tone regarding the flood of illegal immigrants crossing the border

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Published 6:30 am, Friday, December 8, 2006

While campaigning for re-election, Texas Gov. Rick Perry focused on border security. He warned of the risk that terrorists might cross from Mexico to the United States and painted a picture of border counties infested with a wave of human and drug trafficking that overwhelmed sheriffs' capacity to counter it.

Playing on conservative Republicans' fear of uncontrolled immigration and resentment of the federal government for doing little about it, Perry began a program to install video cameras along the border. He urged Texans to monitor the cameras over the Internet and report suspicious activity.

Now that he has handily won re-election, Perry has altered his tone. He opposes a proposal to end the granting of U.S. citizenship to illegal immigrants' children born in the United States. He told a conference this week that such proposals were divisive and bad.

"We need to look at ways to be bringing people together, rather than driving wedges between them," Perry said.

The governor's softened tone can be attributed primarily to the different requirements of campaigning and governing. There is no limit to the number and scope of campaign promises; state governments by contrast must balance their budgets.

Then again, elections have consequences. As the governor noted, Republicans' reliance on the issue of illegal immigration was neither beneficial for the party nor constructive as a policy debate. Furthermore, it alienated relations with Mexico, Texas' next-door neighbor and trading partner. Although Perry was re-elected by a comfortable margin, his party lost ground in local elections and in the Legislature. The state's changing demographics favor Democrats if Republicans cannot broaden their appeal among Hispanics.

Perhaps Perry was reacting to the wishes of many of his most generous campaign contributors, business owners, by and large. These top contributors depend for their profits on low-wage immigrants and generally favor a guest worker program and path to legal residence for the millions of illegal immigrants already living and employed in the United States.

Whatever the motives, Perry's call for reasonable immigration policies and rejection of divisive wedge issues is welcome and reminiscent of Gov. George W. Bush's legacy of tolerance for immigrants.